srlafleur

So I have a question, I have signed up and plan to get there around 12 check in time. What happens if we are stuck in traffic and show up at 2. Do they just put us in the next time slot?

The boarding times aren't engraved in stone, at least not in my experience, just more or less a guideline to help keep the crowds manageable. Carnival may be different, but on my last 3 cruises (RCCL, Princess, and HAL), we were allowed to check in when we got there, earlier than our boarding time in every case. Now, mind, we weren't 4-5 hours early, just an hour or so, but no one checked or cared.

I think Kenya and Amy were both thinking (consciously or not) "typical JC Penney customer circa 1990's", not the demographic that JCP probably wants to re-brand themselves to. Too "safe". I'm glad they didn't go home over it. Had they just ignored that thinking and stuck to their normal design aesthetics, they would probably have done better, and had less friction between them, as well.

Well, one of the twins will be going, unless Tim uses his save. I can't imagine why he would use it for either one of them. Pretty sure it would make for some unhappy fellow competitors. I imagine they would likely want it used on anyone BUT one of the twins!

Why would you NOT want to get on early? :confused:

I mean, beat the crowds, get lunch, get a drink, explore the ship...

Seems pretty simple, if you're in the room and don't want to be bothered just put out the "Snoozin" card and deadbolt the door.

We do it all the time.

I hardly think changing the door hangers qualifies as "the worst move yet"!

Upon my retirement, in 94 days and change, I'll be 64. I have about 3 months from now to figure out what to do about health insurance to last me until I turn 65, 8 months later.

BTW, didn't Zac Posen say last week about the twins helping each other, "This has got to stop" or words to that effect?

Perhaps they'll address it this week? One can only hope. I think Shawn's shortcomings lie in the execution and Claire's in the design. Or at least that's how it appears to me. If they are "separated" and not able to confer, it should be interesting. I have a suspicion that if one goes the other will follow soon after. If not, it will be because the weakest link (whichever that is) was holding the other back.

Hi all!

 

5326jan ~ yikes, that looks uncomfortable!:eek:...

~ Jo ~ :)

Yes, but apparently the model loved it! I suppose in her position as a model comfort is relative.

You do get double Mariner points for the land days as well as the cruise days if you book a suite.

Thanks! That's something, at least. I had thought I read otherwise, but it may have been old info.

Oh, I do have another question! While I have my doubts that the meal package is cost effective, I will have more shipboard credit than I'm likely to use on the 4 cruise days. Does anyone know if OBC could be used to buy the meal package?

You don't get any special treatment on the land portion for being in a suite on the ship. I didn't get any better room in the hotels when we were in a Neptune Suite back in 2013.

 

Hope you have a suite on the port side. Great viewing of the glaciers from the balcony and the Captain seemed to favour the port side for time spent while up close to the glacier.

Thanks, I suspected as much, but wanted verification. I don't know where the suite is located yet, since I booked as a GTY. I'll worry about that when the time comes. It's not my first visit to Alaska, just my first cruise tour.

Hi,

Not that it matters, but does booking a suite for the cruise portion of a HAL Alaska cruise tour translate into any benefits on the land portion? I thought I saw something addressing that years ago, but can't find hide nor hair of it now that I actually have a suite booked.

95 days, 6 hours and 5 minutes...make that 4 minutes...3:D

(I have a countdown clock!)

I'm nervous, but excited.

my navy days version of stages of sea-sickness:

1. Afraid you gonna get sick.

2. Get sick and then afraid you are going to die.

3. Afraid you are not going to die.

lol!

I didn't hate any of the looks. I thought they pretty much all hit the target, as far as making what their models wanted, except Claire. I thought she was going, honestly, though I think Shawn should have been the one of the two of them to go, since she couldn't/wouldn't have made the look she did without Claire's help.

Margarita threw her model under the bus. That wasn't nice. Before the runway, she was every bit as excited about her look as the model was. It certainly was a dated look!

I didn't care for Ayana's coat, but because of the color, only, though. It was a beautiful bathrobe in that color.

 

As to this week...

The right person went home. That design was a total mess!

Definitely! If I had produced that hot mess, I would have just left before the runway.

I have a logistical question:

What table do they use for dinner? I've had a large balcony, and the only table on it could barely fit a couple of drinks. Do they bring in a table? And chairs? Our balcony, IIRC, had one regular chair and one chaise (too low for dining).

My take on the twins:

It occurred to my, at some point yesterday, what/who exactly they remind me of. I'm not sure how familiar you all are with the old MTV show, The Real World? The first season was interesting, because the people participating had no preconceived notions, so their behavior was "real" (relatively). However, once that season had aired, the next crop of people had ideas of how they wanted to present themselves, what niche they wanted to fill in the house. I watched the first episode of that next season when someone threw themselves in the pool yelling "I'm CRAZY!", determined to be "the crazy one". (I never watched again.)

There's something about the twins, or there was before it really became hard work and deadlines, that reminds me of that...like they almost started out wanting to be the ones to bring the drama. That may be unfair, and they may be actually exactly like they've presented themselves, but I don't know...

Not at all sad about the design that went home. The winner was a toss-up for me, but I can see why the winning design was selected. Yes, it was a bit "out there", but if it would be interpreted for ready-to-wear, I think it would be pretty great and it is a new look. So many of the designs from the others are wonderful, but really just an interpretation of something already done.

I've decided that one of the twins needs to go. I want to see how either would do without back-up from the other. I think Shawn might be the weaker of the 2.

Is cruising "worth it"? Well, it depends a great deal upon what your definition of "it" is, doesn't it? It's not worth it for me if your definition of a cruise is baking in the Caribbean sun for 7 days. That's not something I would care to do,and, if I cared to, it's something I could do at an all-inclusive or even my own back yard (depending on the time of year).

If, however, your definition is, say, sailing on more interesting itineraries to places you've never been and are unlikely or unable to visit without taking multiple flights, trying to book multiple hotels or to find restaurants for every meal, then, yeah, a cruise is definitely worth it.

Seems many people equate "cruise" with "Caribbean", and there is SO much more out there!

Did I miss something? Weren't the teasers shown for this week's show all about how someone being called out for cheating? Did I fall asleep and miss something?

I can't really disagree with the losing look (If he had only used a different color plastic!), but I wish Shawn had been sent packing instead for not producing her own outfit. She did nothing but whine and complain and the team stepped up to do it all for her.

It will be interesting when one or the other of the twins goes.

I don't mind the twins enunciation, but I find the "artist's statement" type of speaking about their designs more than a bit pretentious. Even Tim looked a little...overwhelmed? Confused? Taken aback? by their "deep" dissertation about what they were doing and why. I mean, this was a pretty cut and dry assignment. Lord help us when their designs actual have to mean something. You know, draw inspiration from the streets of NYC for the avant garde challenge or something.

I was neither shocked nor disappointed with who went home, and I think the right 3 were in the bottom. The winner was a toss-up for me, but I didn't disagree. The twins are wicked annoying, and I foresee some drama there. Usually the first episode isn't quite as full of drama as this one was, but then, they never had anything but skinny models to deal with, and I'm sure being thrown the various sizes threw them for a loop. I mean, if one is used to designing menswear, the ideal model would be the next best shape - your standard size nothing model with no boobs or booty!

We just returned from a HAL 18 night, and yes, the demographic skewed elderly. (we are 65 and 64). There were shows that started at 10 or even 11 (the crew shows). The nice thing about everyone going to bed early was that the later shows were much easier to get into, while the earlier shows were packed.There wasn't a whole lot of rock 'n roll throughout the ship, I've got to say. I mean, we're considered seniors, but the music piped into the Lido, for example, seemed more geared to a pre-WWII demographic. The average age was senior, but it wasn't really that old. (at our age, music from the '60's and 70's is "our" music!) There was an abundance of live classical music (violin and piano) in one lounge, which was nice to listen to while reading, but otherwise would have put me to sleep.

We had a wonderful time because we weren't on that itinerary (Voyage of the Vikings, incl. Iceland and Greenland) for the shipboard entertainment.

We have been on HAL cruises previously, on shorter, more standard itineraries (Caribbean, Mexican Riviera) that were much more lively on board overall.

There were a few that were very creative/avant garde, and that's fine, but I think at least a couple of the designers will be in trouble when they have to follow parameters beyond their own visions. Plus, they have a mix of model sizes, so that should add some drama.

We, too, live on the east coast and hate the idea of a long flight home harshing our vacation vibe. So, what we did was stay in California for a couple of days on the way out and back. We could as easily have stayed at any of the westerly locales that have direct flights to HNL.

It was definitely worth it to be able to take advantage of the overnights in Kauai and Maui that POA has. (we're not big sea day fans)